


Island Misadventures

by Merlin_Wolfgang_Trades_Hale



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: BAMF Stiles, Established Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams, FBI Agent Stiles Stilinski, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Is Bad at Feelings, Stiles Stilinski is Pushed Out of the Pack, Tags May Change, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-02-28 13:49:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18757690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlin_Wolfgang_Trades_Hale/pseuds/Merlin_Wolfgang_Trades_Hale
Summary: After Stiles is pushed out of the pack, he dives fully into his internship at the FBI and becomes one hell of an agent. He's just not that much of a team player. For a while, that's okay...until some of the high ups begin to worry. They force Stiles to join the 5-0 task force. They're wary of him at first, and Stiles isn't fond of being forced to play with others.They eventually begin to bond. Stiles learns to trust again. The 5-0 team becomes protective of Stiles...especially when Braeden shows up and gets Stiles into trouble and danger. They only know her as a mercenary, Stiles keeps distance because he doesn't want the team to learn about the supernatural.They're also very protective when Derek arrives on the island and seems to also be dragging Stiles into dangerous situations. (The team imagines illegal car racing, gangs wars, and other hoodlum stuff. Stiles prefers they think that instead of getting involved in the supernatural)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Stiles began his internship at the age of 17 but by the time he's placed in 5-0 he's 24. 
> 
> Appearance wise...Mitch Rapp in American Assassin.

“You’re slipping.” 

 

Stiles looked up but rather than spazzing out and knocking the glass and bottle over, he reached for another glass. Filling it halfway with the amber liquid, he slides it across the counter where McCall catches it.

 

“You know that I know there isn’t a special rule that lets you enter a residence without permission just because you have a badge, right?”  

 

“But I also know you’re not gonna do anything considering you’re at least buzzed. On a school day. And your fake rock key thing is really seriously obvious.”

 

“Heh.” Stiles scoffed before taking another sip.

 

McCall snatched it out of his hand with a frown. Stiles glared at him but didn’t try to get it back. Before he could grab the bottle though, McCall snatched it too. Stiles sighed and pressed his head against the table. He was probably an echo image of when his father took to the bottle after his mother’s death.

 

This is what his life’s become after being possessed. He’s tried to get better, but it became clear pretty soon that it wasn’t going to be an option. So he tried to fake it. He tried to go to school, go to practice, help with the recent case of weird and helped his so-called friends to be okay too. He noticed whenever any of them didn’t sleep the night before, he noticed when they skipped a meal, he noticed when the world was crashing around them.

 

No one noticed when Stiles didn’t go to school. No one noticed the scent of liquor on him, despite the heightened senses.

 

The nightmares differ in degrees of horror. Sometimes he can get two hours of sleep. Sometimes he’s running on fumes and passes out on the fourth night without sleep, but it’s nowhere near restful.

 

Falling asleep drunk helps. Sometimes it makes the things in the dark more terrifying. It felt like he was playing a form of Russian Roulette.

 

Stiles has tried reaching out and talking to his friends. They don’t take him seriously, or their problems take precedence.

 

Argent’s dating Melissa, and rather than it being awkward for Scott, he’s actually bonding more with the hunter. Said hunter still can’t really look at Stiles. It hurts like hell, and he still feels guilty for Allison’s death. It might not have been him, but it was his face...it was in some way him.

 

And they don’t let him forget it.

 

“I have an offer.”

 

Stiles doesn’t say anything but looks at McCall with a raised eyebrow.

 

“I can get you into the FBI. As an intern. It’s gonna be hard. You’re going to be among the best and the brightest. So this?” He said holding up the bottle. “Has to stop.”

 

Stiles looked at him for a moment before he shook his head to try to clear it. “What?”

 

“Whatever resentment I had against your father was ill-founded. I know that. And now I can admit to it. He’s a good man and he’s kept Melissa and Scott safe when I couldn’t. So now I want to return the favor. You may be sarcastic and a pain the ass sometimes, but no one’s ever called you stupid. Word at the station also proves that you’ve got a knack for this. You not only got a good heart, but you also think like a criminal.”

 

“That’s not usually a trait one looks for when hiring law enforcement,” Stiles muttered.

 

“Not traditionally no. But we need people who think like the ones we go after. If you pass the course and become a real agent you’ll be a real asset. I know now that what you and Scott have been facing is a bit of a joke compared to some of the cases, but things will be more challenging in some aspects. In a way, monsters being the villains behind tragedy makes sense. In the FBI it’ll be mostly humans...the worst of humanity. And that’s why we need the best.”

 

“Good speech. Rip if off of something?” Stiles asked.

 

“What do you say?” McCall asked in turn.

 

“If I were to accept...how soon can I start?” Stiles questioned.

 

McCall looked from Stiles to the bottle in his hand. He’s seen how broken Stiles has become while he’s been here. Though he’s tried to bond with Scott, his son can’t find it in him to really forgive him for the past. He’s made his new family with the hunter Melissa was dating. It was his own failings he knew, but he still felt like he needed to help somehow. Which is what led him to paying attention to Stiles.

 

He saw a lot of himself. He saw a lot of Noah. He saw a lot of what great men who fall in what Stiles was going through. Though work only made things in that scenario worse, Stiles wasn’t a family man yet. The work could help him rise from the ashes of his recent crash and burn.

 

“Soon. Very soon.”

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Noah asked him as he watched Stiles pack from the door.

 

Stiles zipped up his suitcase and sat on the bed. “Not really.”

 

“We can find something else then.” Noah offered.

 

“What?” Stiles asked him. In that question, he held genuine tiredness and frustration. “I don’t know what to do with myself anymore dad. School seems rather useless. I know I should still try for the sake of normality. I should try to get the grades to go to college, get a degree, get a job that’ll give me the _‘normality’_ we were! But we’re not normal. Even if we’re human. You’re the Sheriff of a weird-ass town. Whatever degree or job I get, we’ll be trying to see how I can use it to help keep the town safe...always making excuses...falling in love with someone who is a supernatural creature or knows about it because how else can I have a relationship? How can I bring a poor human into the mess that is my life?”

 

“Stiles…”

 

Stiles took a breath and recentered himself. “I can’t focus in class anymore. I don’t give a damn of whatever bullshit coach yells in the field anymore. I can’t...I…I can’t be around the people who were once my friends keep pushing me aside until it’s convenient. I...I need...I need to be useful, dad.”

 

“Oh, kid…” Noah pulled him into a tight embrace. “You’re so damn useful. But I get it okay? I do. And it’s weird that this is coming from McCall but...I’m proud of you.” Noah pulled away and smiled at his boy. “Agent Stilinski...FBI. Has a nice ring to it.”

 

Stiles offered a small smile. The only one he’s genuinely given since his possession. “I’m going to make you proud.”

 

“You already do. Just promise me one thing.”

 

“Anything.”

 

“Always come back. No matter who or what you face out there. Always come back.”

 

“Only if you promise the same thing,”  Stiles told him.

 

“Alright. You got a deal.” Noah extended his hand. Stiles gripped it, they shook hands, before they hugged it out again.

 

They finished packing up before going downstairs, ordering a pizza, and watching the game.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure you didn’t want to tell any of them?” Noah asked as they waited for his train at the train station.

 

“McCall told Melissa and Scott he was leaving on the same train. They had their chance to be here.” Stiles said. It sounded a little bitter, but he was.

 

“Stiles…”

 

“It’ll be easier. On the train, I’ll write down the explanation that’ll work. If they show up now, I don’t know what I’d say. I...I might not be able to go after all.”

 

“And you _want_ to go?”

 

“I _have_ to. For me.”

 

_“Now boarding train to Washington DC. Now boarding train to Washington DC.”_

 

“That’s me. I’ll call you when I get there.”

 

Stiles and Noah hugged it out. They waved at each other until the train was out of view. Stiles was terrified and excited.

 

Despite he was leaving his father, he felt like he could breathe easier the farther away he got from Beacon.

* * *

 

After he got settled in his seat Stiles took out a notebook and tried to write an excuse. An explanation he would give Scott and Lydia or anyone else who reached out to ask him where he was.

 

He twirled his pen in his hand, he doodled little tornados and random designs as he tried to think of a good excuse.

 

Nothing came to him.

 

“Why not the truth?” McCall asked him at the hour mark.

 

Stiles scoffed, “And what is the truth?”

 

McCall shrugged. “Honesty. What you’ve wanted to tell them.”

 

“I still need actual, literal words.” Stiles deadpanned.

 

“You want the eloquent excuse that’ll be echoed as people ask ‘hey, didn’t the sheriff have a son?’ and the person they asked will reply with ‘Oh didn’t you hear? He got early acceptance into the FBI’. And they’ll talk about being like your father but wanting more. They’ll talk about how you’re brave or stupid. Too young or how they’re surprised that a blue-collar kid like you got into such a place when Martin’s kid doesn’t seem to know where she’ll end up after all.”

 

“Wow,” Stiles muttered. “You really do your research don’t you?”  McCall shrugged. Stiles then asked, “What’s the not so eloquent answer?”

 

“Beacon Hills had become a hell hole and you were only getting worse. If you didn’t leave now, you’d never leave it alive.”

 

Stiles frowned at that answer. “It feels like the coward’s way out.”

 

“After your mother passed, it fell on to you to take care of your father. After I left...you also helped take care of Scott and helped him take care of Melissa. No one’s really bothered to return that favor. It’s why you’re so snarky and angry. Since your mother passed…”

 

“I haven’t felt taken care of, is that it?”

 

“It sounds harsh, and I’m sorry. But you know if you stayed, you’d just work yourself to death. And I’m not exaggerating. You’re taking care of yourself for once. Beacon Hills isn’t your cross to bear, Stiles.”

 

“But it’s someone’s,” Stiles said as he fiddled with the pen in his hand.

 

“It’s in the hands of your father and Scott...and everyone else. They’re healing. They’re more healed than you are. They can handle it. They’ll have to.” When those words didn’t seem to ease Stiles’s mind, he added. “It’s not like you’re running away to hide Stiles. You’ll be trained and disciplined. You’ll learn things that go far beyond the survival tactics you’ve stumbled through back home. You’re going to gain a badge that’ll help you help people. You’ll be saving them from some of the cruelest tragedies that have ever come from humanity…”

 

It was strangely comforting, and so Stiles nodded in thanks. He tucked the notebook away and pulled out his phone to watch a movie on Netflix. Occasionally he’d check his notifications to see if anyone had contacted him to ask him where he was but...there were none.

 

He watched a movie and a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and in that time he only got a text from his dad.

 

 _‘It’s not even been a full day. Be patient, Stilinski.’_ He told himself.

 

Half a week would pass before he got a text from Scott. He arrived in DC, settled in, went to orientation, and had his first day. Had his second day. Had his third day. And on his fourth day is when he gets the text of

 

**_‘Dude were r u?’_ **

 

He wrote an entire paragraph, parts of what he thought he wanted to write down in the notebook on the train. He erased it and wrote the eloquent answer that McCall told him to give. He erased that too.

 

His roommate asked him if he wanted to go to the gym for a while. Stiles sent his dad a text he was leaving his phone to charge and that he’d be at the gym with a new friend.

 

* * *

 

It was hard to fight his nature.

 

He was spazzstick and ungraceful. He rambled and went off-topic too easily. He would still trip over air at times.

 

But he had something to prove.

 

He would study harder than before. When he wasn’t hitting the books he was at the gym trying to not be so scrawny. Stiles talked to the trainers and got on a diet that helped him bulk up a bit, and helped him train to gain the muscle he wanted.

 

Looking around he found a local boxing gym that offered beginner classes and he signed up for it. Kickboxing was different than some of the other martial arts he tried to learn with Liam, Scott, or Parrish. He was a natural at it, it helped that he always had to keep moving his feet. He was quick and calculating and full of anger.

 

He would end up bruised a lot, but honestly, he hasn’t felt better in months. Sleep was coming easier. It was still a challenge, but he’d find it easier than when in Beacon.

 

His studies and training take up a lot of his time. He glances at his messages but doesn’t always reply unless it’s his father. He gets to know his professors and tries to get the most of their lessons. In the course, at first, he’s a joke.  He can’t make it halfway and is very embarrassed, but he pushed it aside and keeps trying.

 

Unlike in high school when he’s kicked down and sneered at, though it does happen here too, he’s also helped. His classmates are some of the best after all. But he learns from them. He doesn’t mind taking on their traits and adapting their methods to how he does things.

 

Eventually, he breaks the course time record. He feels proud.

 

He’s noticed.

 

There’s an emergency and one of his professors takes him along. He’s so damn nervous but once in the field, it all melts away and he lets his newly refined instincts take hold.

 

A month later he’s asked along on another mission.

 

He gains his badge.

 

He takes the proper evals for his gun, he passes, gets his gun, and he trains. He was an okay shot, but he wanted to be a damn good one. He didn’t have sniper-like ambitions, but he wouldn’t mind coming close to one.

 

His skill level kept improving and it was clear to his peers as well as his superiors. The problems came in the fact that he wasn’t the best team player. He didn’t think that what the pack had done to him would affect him like this, but it had. Things were different outside of Beacon Hills, but they were still just as dangerous. If he had trouble trusting those he once called _‘friends’_ , how the hell was he going to trust people he didn’t know with his life?

 

The answer was that he couldn’t.

 

No matter how easy it was for him to learn new styles of fighting or learning a new language, teamwork escaped him.

 

For a while, it hurt his career. Until something happened involving the Director’s family member. They needed someone to go in undercover. Someone strong, smart, clever, and who could do the job. It was the biggest job he’s ever been given, and it would prove crucial in different ways.

 

Stiles proved himself though. He proved he had grown. He proved that he could hold his own in the face of danger without getting caught up in his mind, and just carry out the mission. He might have been bloody and bruised, but he saved the day and was reigned a hero.

 

The Director owed Stiles and asked him if he wanted anything. Stiles told him he wanted to be active. He knew he didn’t do well in a team, but he was a good field agent. The Director agreed and passed Stiles along to one of his higher officials who would sort it out.

 

Stiles became the Calvary.

 

He was the guy who came in when the cause seemed lost. When there wasn’t room for hope. When things seemed bleak.

 

Stiles was the Hail Mary,

 

And damn if he didn’t get good at his job. With the badge and the cruelty he was up against, Stiles let himself delve into his anger. He let himself unleash all of the darkness and revel in the bloodshed. No one blinked an eye or looked at him oddly or like he was a monster. Not when he was ridding the world of bigger and crueler monsters.

 

It got to the point that Stiles would try his best to be in front of his kill. Weaken them, bring them to the brink of death, stand in front of them and let them know who it was who was sending them to their demise. It was a weird feeling, a high that was akin to what he felt as the Nogitsune. It should have frightened him, but it honestly made him feel _strong_.

 

After feeling weak among the supernatural beings, he refused to feel like that again.

 

* * *

 

“Stilinski’s an asset. He’s helped bring back our people more times than we can count.”

 

_“But what happens when he doesn’t?”_

 

“Not all cases can be successful. We all know that. Doesn’t change my answer. We’ve had more successful returns when we send Stilinski in.”

 

_“His latest psych evaluations have come in and they’re some...worrisome red flags, sir.”_

 

“What we ask of him isn’t easy. Nothing in his file suggests to me that he’s becoming a liability.”

 

_“Forgive the impertinence sir, but are you sure you’re not being blinded by the fact that he saved your niece?”_

 

“I am thankful, but I wouldn’t be where I am if I were oblivious. Stilinski’s ability, intellect, and grace aren’t a priority of concern. When his handler sees something wrong in him, then I will make a decision.”

 

The Director hung up by slamming the phone down a bit rougher than intended. He sighed as he rubbed the bridge between his nice. After a moment he picked up the phone again and dialed Stilinski’s handler.

 

_“Yes, sir?”_

 

“Stilinski. What do you think about his latest psych evals?”

 

* * *

 

“What’s with the face?” Danny asked Steve as he came into the office. The blond knew that Steve had a meeting with the governor so he wasn't sure what to expect. Nothing good by the look on Steve’s face.

 

“We’re getting a new team member.”

 

This time it was Danny who made a face. “What? Why?”

 

“That’s not all.”

 

“It never is.” Because as much good as 5-0 does, they’re never not being criticized or analyzed. They do go off the books but the results speak for themselves. Still, as a police offer, Danny understands at times a bit more as to why the higher-ups keep sending them hurdles.

 

Though it’s sort of been established by now that the higher-ups and officers can dictate policy and rules( which Steve might choose to ignore later). Team members typically fell to them.

 

“It’s not an order as much as it’s a favor for the Director of the FBI from the Governor.” 

 

Okay, now he got an idea of why Steve made the face. “FBI? We’re getting a Fed? And this ‘favor’, ” Danny said using air quotes. “Is that code for something? Is he here to keep an eye on us?”

 

Steve shrugged. “I don’t know yet. There wasn’t much I could do.”

 

“But I bet you tried,” Danny said.

 

“I told him that our team had all the members it needed. Anyone extra could through it all off. But...the Governor said that it was done. So it’ll be up to us to get to the bottom of this. See what this guy’s about, what could have placed him here, and try to not let it hurt 5-0.”

 

“You know it, babe. We should probably explain it to the team before he or she arrives. We don’t want them to be skeptical or judgmental, but they should be..cautious.”

 

“Exactly.” Steve agreed. Once everyone had arrived, he called a quick team meeting and explained how his morning went.

 

* * *

 

_“You’re being transferred?”_

 

Stiles heard the worry and concern in his father’s voice. “Yeah. To Hawaii.”

 

_“Hawaii? Seriously?”_

 

Stiles shrugged. He wasn’t overly pleased with this. Even if his workplace now included paradise.

 

_“You’re not happy with this?”_

 

He sighed and tried to form the words. “I’ve been doing damn well on my own. Being sent in a very SWAT way without being one of them either. It’s like being a private secret agent, ya know? But I only answered to my handler and to the Director. Now I’ll be placed on a team, with someone else as my boss.”

 

_“Might not be the worst thing, kid. And despite what I just called you, you’re not a kid anymore Stiles. Whatever bridges you burned with the pack here, shouldn’t keep you from making friends with your co-workers.”_

 

“I didn’t burn the bridges dad. They...they’re just abandoned and no longer used.”

 

_“Maybe it doesn’t seem fair, but have you thought of being the one to cross them?”_

 

“I have. But then I’m always being called out to another mission. I like what I do, dad. I like who I am. And that is not a team player. I never really was if you think about it. I thrive more on my own!” Stiles insisted.

 

_“Well...there’s little you can do with orders. You’ll be in Hawaii! Try to make the most of it. And when you go in, try to keep it in mind that this new team isn’t gonna use you.”_

 

“I won’t let them.”

 

* * *

 

“What’s with the face?” Tani asked Junior.

 

“It’s just...the new guy.”

 

“Could be a new girl.” Tani countered. “But anyway, what about them?”

 

“The Commander and Detective Williams are concerned. Apparently, the Governor has tried to control 5-0 before by adding its own agents. I just...I like our team how it is. We work well together.”

 

“I know. Me too. But they never lasted, so let's just hope they get tired of us and rage quit.”

 

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t really want to be taken away from what my old job detailed.”

 

Both Junior and Tani jumped and turned around at the voice. They scrambled to speak but neither of them could really come up with anything to say.

 

It was still one of the nicer greetings Stiles has been welcomed with.

 

“We didn’t mean-” Junior tried.

 

“ _What_ we meant-” Tani tried.

 

“We don’t have to like each other. We just have to work together.” Stiles said in a clipped tone. “Where can I find Steve McGarrett?”

 

“Right here. Who are you?” Steve asked as he came out of his office.

 

“Agent Stilinski. Reporting for duty.”  Stiles knew that because of his age and even his build, he’s underestimated a lot. It irked him at first until he realized how much that can come to be an advantage. So he doesn’t like to come off as intimidating. He would much rather be a discarded thought than something to be concerned about. So he’s coming off as not very interested in being here, which he thinks irritated the Commander.

 

“Right well. We’ve got a case. Let’s go meet the rest of the team and get started.” Steve instructed.

 

* * *

 

Stiles was promised that the case was fairly standard. He expected to be a bit low brow. He was paired off with Lou Grover. He tried to get some information out of Stiles. Not in the interrogating sort of way and more in the ‘hey we’re gonna be around each other, we should know about each other’ way. But considering the conversation he walked into when he arrived, he felt less inclined to share.

 

He kept his answers basic and as generic as possible.

 

To his credit, Lou didn’t seem upset or annoyed with Stiles.

 

“I know what it’s like switching teams. I don’t know what you heard about 5-0 but trust me...we’re some of the best. And if you’re being sent to us, that means they think you got what it takes.”

 

“Got _what_ exactly?” Stiles asked.

 

He didn’t miss the smirk on Lou’s face. He had thrown a lure and Stiles grabbed at it. “ _It_. You got _it_ , kid.”

 

“I don’t suppose _it_ is any more specific? I feel like I should go get it checked out.”

 

Lou laughed, “I like you kid. You’ll do fine.”

 

There was an ease with Lou but from the attempted sharing Lou did, Stiles learned he was a father. Maybe he just really missed his own dad, and why it was easy not to feel irritated with Lou's attempt to get to know him.

 

They paired him with Lou because Lou was supposed to go follow up on a lead that wasn’t as dire as other parts of the case. Unfortunately, the team wasn’t aware of the _Stilinski Luck._

 

The place they were investigating was the place some of the perps returned to. For some reason, it amused the hell out of Stiles that the ‘they returned to the scene of the crime’ thing happened on his first day. It was near the docks so Stiles ended up hijacking a Kawasaki jet ski and boarding the boat the bad guys were using to escape.

 

He took on six muscled, armed perps on his own. When a helicopter tried to rescue the boss, damn right did Stiles jump and barely caught the ladder and climbed up as fast as he could. Just when they were going to cut it, he jumped on the helicopter’s stand/legs. He held on for dear life and calculated a plan in his head. Once he had an idea of what he wanted to do, he put it in motion.

 

Inside of the chopper, he did quick work of knocking out the boss and gaining his weapon and using it to threaten the pilot to land where Lou was waiting.

 

If this was the 5-0 standard...Stiles might learn to like it.

* * *

 

“You shoulda seen this kid. I swear it was like watching a young McGarrett in his prime.” Lou praised the team.

 

McGarrett was impressed, there’s no denying it, but he still pouted at being called old. “I can still do all of that now.”

 

“But you’re trying not to.” William’s reminded him.

 

All the bad guys were arrested, the case was solved, and the remaining paperwork could wait until another day.

 

McGarrett approached Stiles and told him, “You did good today.”

 

Stiles nodded, “Thanks, sir.”

 

“Don’t call me that. Junior did enough of that, and still does sometimes.” McGarrett told him.

 

“It seems too informal to call you anything else and I don’t think we’re on a first-name basis. So...Commander? McGarrett?” Stiles asked, sort of setting the boundaries. Though he felt slightly more at ease _not_ having someone who wanted to be called ‘Sir’ be in charge.  

 

“Either or both work,” McGarrett told him. Then added, “After a case, we usually go and get something to eat at a friend’s shrimp truck. Wanna join?”

 

It was an olive branch. An invitation to a team thing. It was something the team did to bond.

 

Stiles knew how important he had become in the Bureau. He wasn’t sure how long he was going to be staying in Hawaii. Even if this was a long-time thing, he wasn’t personally ready. Whatever his dad said or tried reminding him...he wasn’t a team player.

 

“I uh...I haven’t begun unpacking. I got a whole mess waiting for me, I should probably sort out the basics.” It wasn’t a lie.

 

McGarrett pouted a bit but didn’t insist. “Next time then.”

 

Stiles doubt it, but he didn’t want to argue that. He left 5-0 HQ without another word or goodbye to anyone else.

* * *

 

“Where’s Stilinski? Didn’t he come with you?” Lou asked as Steve joined them.

 

“He said he still had a lot to unpack. Next time.” Steve repeated what he told Stiles.

 

Tani and Junior shared a look, silently agreeing with each other that they’d try to make amends with Stiles.

 

They made their orders, talked about the case, about Stilinski, about what was happening outside of work.

 

* * *

 

Driving in a rental car that the FBI supplied him with was..nice. Stiles still really misses Roscoe though. He’s planning on sending his handler a series of questions about this position, and one of them is if he’ll be here long enough that bringing Roscoe over from California would be worth it.

 

“Hi!”

 

Stiles jumped a bit when he was greeted by Tani by his car.  He scolded himself for getting lost in thought like that. He must have been in his head too long because Tani cleared her throat to get his attention.

 

“I just wanted to properly welcome you. I...Joon and I aren’t like that. We’re not, I swear! Uh...coffee?”

 

“Uh...thanks,” Stiles said as he skeptically accepted the cup.

 

“It wasn’t cool how we made assumptions without meeting you. You’re a cool guy and you know how to handle yourself in the field.”

 

“Thank you,” Stiles said that with more sincerity. He supposed he could take her out of some of her misery. “And don’t sweat it. Your team does fine work. You all know it’s rhythm. Me being flung into it probably wasn’t expected. No hard feelings.”

 

“I still feel kinda bad.”

 

“Don’t. But you can do me a favor.”

 

“Sure! What?”

 

“Reassure your team it’s more of a ‘punishing me’ thing than ‘trying to get dirt on you guys’ thing,” Stiles said.  

 

Tani was confused, “What do you mean?”

 

“I have pretty impressive skills, but I suck at working with others. My handler and higher-ups are concerned about me going off the book or becoming a liability rather than an asset. So they’re placing me on a team they think can handle me.” Stiles explained.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah. I’m not as mysterious as you thought. Sorry.” Stiles gave her a wink before heading inside. The coffee was good. So that’s a plus.

 

* * *

 

After the first case where he was basically branded as a ‘mini-McGarrett’ by the team, 5-0 has been trying to be nice to him.

 

They were genuine people, Stiles could tell by the intensity of their sincerity. He just wasn’t ready to give back what they wanted to offer. Part of him held out hope that his bosses would need him to go back in and help save some poor agent in a terrible situation.

 

He could read people easily, and he’s always had a good gut instinct. For a moment he feared he’d crash more with Junior. After being called a ‘Mini-McGarrett’ Stiles was concerned that Junior would be jealous. It was easy to see that Junior really admired McGarrett and wanted to be like him. Unlike Stiles though, Junior _had_ been military trained and held a discipline Stiles didn’t.

 

They were equal parts divided. Junior the military side of McGarrett and Stiles the wilder, ‘does the bat shit crazy things that nearly give Danny a heart attack’ part of McGarrett.

 

The next case Stiles and Junior were paired together. It was hard for Stiles not to just jump in and take the lead. He did though because as much as his instincts yelled at him to act, he wasn’t unaware of the power hierarchy, and right now he knew he was at the bottom. Junior was actually a good person to work with, maybe because his military position made it easy for Stiles to guess what he was going to do even before Junior did.

 

Stiles used that to tackle Junior away from danger and took a bullet for him. It was only a graze but the action spoke deeply.

 

As things wrapped up, it was almost visible how much McGarrett and Junior were now accepting of Stiles.

 

Which only made it impossible for Stiles to refuse an invitation to go out to eat with the team.

 

“You shouldn’t drive right now, and you need fuel,” McGarrett said.

 

“I would rather just call it a night.” Stiles tried.

 

“No, come on. We insist. How much of Hawaii have you actually seen since you got here?” McGarrett asked.

 

“I got a good bird’s eye view on the first day.” Stiles reminded them.

 

McGarrett chuckled but added half-heartedly, “It’s an order. If you still feel tired after some grub in ya, Junior will take you home.”

 

Stiles wanted to argue and insist he wasn’t hungry, but his stomach betrayed him and growled. It was all McGarrett needed him to nudge him towards the truck. Williams had some things to pick up and drop off for his kids, so McGarrett had been using his truck.

 

When they arrived, they were greeted with a very warm welcome. Everyone raised their drinks, McGarrett told the food truck owner to send three more specials their way. Stiles sat on the edge a bit awkwardly. He hoped he could just blend in and be ignored as he had been in high school. No such luck here.

 

“Three specials. So, this is the Mini-McGarrett, huh? From where do you hail from brudda?” The food truck owner asked him. Everyone turned to look at him expectantly.

 

“California. Went to DC for my internship and...then wherever my bosses sent me. Hawaii’s just the latest.” Stiles explained.

 

“And without a team?” Tani asked. “Sounds more CIA than FBI. Ya know...from what I know.”

 

“I don’t think I can neither confirm nor deny if I’ve ever worked with the CIA,” Stiles said with a small smirk. It got him funny looks from everyone, but a very critical look from McGarrett and Williams. He wondered what that was about but stored it away for later.

 

Sensing his uncomfortableness, Lou thankfully changed the subject and allowed Stiles to stuff his face and not talk anymore. He’s forgotten how awkward he can be.

 

The food was actually good. Though his wound didn’t bother him, he was going to use it as an excuse to bail out of there. He got up and pulled out a twenty to cover his meal.

 

“I’m gonna go rest. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

 

“Junior can drive you,” McGarrett said as he threw his keys to Junior.

 

“That’s not necessary. I can just call an Uber.”  Stiles tried to decline more forced bonding.

 

But McGarrett wasn’t having it. “Nonsense. It’s what a team is for. Save your money.”

 

“What about you?” Stiles asked.

 

“I’ll drive back with Danny.”

 

“You’re not gonna win, kid,” Lou told him, and Stiles gave in with a sigh. McGarrett smirked in triumph and soon Stiles was telling Junior the motel he was staying in.

 

“The Commander’s a good guy.” Was the icebreaker that Junior went with.

 

Stiles spared him a look before he replied with. “I don’t think the Governor would continue to fund 5-0 if he weren’t.”

 

“Right. But what I meant is he’s good and really nice on the surface. But when it comes to the team...we’re basically his family. We are a family...so if any of it came off as harsh in the beginning, we’re sorry. You’re part of 5-0 now and don’t want you to feel pushed out.”

 

“Is this you or the Commander speaking?” Stiles asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Both,” Junior answered.

 

Stiles nodded. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off as rigid. With my line of work, getting close to people was just never an option.”

 

“I can understand that. But you’re part of 5-0 now. Trust me...we’re big on the closeness.” Junior said, offering a small smile.

 

There it was again. He’s seen each member in the field react to dire situations so he knows how fierce each of them can be. Junior included. And yet they all had this sincerity that Stiles couldn’t fully fathom.

 

“Since I became an agent, I never really allowed myself to believe in permanent-ness. Since there was never a team I fit in with, I was constantly moving. I can’t know if 5-0 is the same. My handler was pretty honest with me. My latest psych eval began to raise a few eyebrows. This could be just a move to appease whoever was concerned. I could very well be whisked away to help whoever needs my help.”

 

That made Junior frowned. “Do you want to leave?”

 

Stiles shrugged, “I don’t know what I want.”

 

Silence engulfed them again, but Stiles’s motel wasn’t too far away. Stiles thanked Junior for the ride, but before he could head inside, Junior asked him a question. “Hey, you wanna go surfing tomorrow?”

 

For Junior, it was just something he and some of the others did to bond on their time off. Stiles wasn’t surprised by the activity asked but he just blinked at Junior before he replied with, “I...I don’t know how.”

 

“I could teach you.” Junior offered.

 

“Uh...I feel like we made some progress and I don’t want you to think I’m that emotionally stunted. Or I don’t want to believe I’ve become that emotionally stunted anyway. But...I’m okay being on land. Anyway, I’ll catch you later. Thanks for the ride.” And he sprinted up to his room before anything else could be said.

 

* * *

 

“I’m sending Stiles with you the next case,” Steve told him.

 

Danny looked up from his report with a curious expression. “Not that I’m opposed to it, but any particular reason as to why?”

 

“Junior learned that Stiles doesn’t know how to surf,” Steve told him.

 

“And you want _me_ to offer to teach him?”

 

“Junior gets the feeling that Stiles doesn’t know how to swim. Considering how far you’ve come, maybe it’ll help. You two can bond, you can encourage Stiles to partake in more of the island life.” Steve suggested.

 

“Alright. But you gotta be honest with me, babe. What’s up?”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Steve tried to deflect, but after an unimpressed look from the blond, the SEAL sighed. “He reminds me a lot of me. How I was. His father’s a cop too. You’ve seen him in the field. He makes all the moves I would. He thinks a lot like me.”

 

“And that’s not a good thing?”

 

Steve gave him a deadpanned look. “With all the times you exaggerated about the heart attacks I give you, you’re seriously asking me that?”

 

“Point taken. But still, explain.”

 

Steve paced a bit before taking a seat across Danny. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes that have caused me a lot of misery. I had the skills, but not the emotional wisdom to act appropriately.”

 

“But all of those decisions have led you to here. With this team, to your position and rank...and ya know, to me.” Danny said with a light blush.

 

Steve grabbed Danny’s hand and interlocked their fingers, offering a smile. “I know. And despite how long it took us to get our shit together, I’m happy about it. But…”

 

“Your protective instincts are going on overdrive telling you to protect this kid and give him the guidance you now wish you had. You do realize that it’s probably not gonna work, right? He’s young. You tell a young person something, they’ll do exactly what you tell them not to because they feel like they have a point to prove. And because you believe he’s like you then...”

 

“Then he feels like he has everything to prove. I know. But still...can you try? For me?”

 

Danny closed his report, stood up, and went over to kiss Steve properly. “For you. And for him. I don’t make promises but I’ll try.”

 

* * *

 

The next case when Stiles was paired up with Danny, they headed to the docks to investigate a lead. Some of the perps were there and they used a kid as a human shield. When they were at enough distance they threw the child into the water.

 

Danny had his gun on the perp to keep them from firing, so it was up to Stiles to go after the child. Which he did. He dove into the water and swam for the child while Danny provided the standoff protection. The bad guys got away, but the child was saved and Danny learned that Stiles could swim.

 

Having gotten used to things like these happening, and being the father of a kid, Danny had extra clothes in the trunk. Stiles was a bit small for the clothes but was happy to be dry. Though the pants were clean, Stiles knew that it wasn’t Danny who wore cargo pants, but Steve. He made a note of that, but really thinking back on it, the two were basically an old married couple.

 

“So, you _do_ know how to swim?”

 

“I do. YMCA programs during the summer and then a bit in high school. Why?”

 

“Just, Junior invited you to surf and he thought it might be the reason,” Danny replied honestly.

 

“Ah. Yeah, I got the feeling that water might be a big thing on an island but don’t really count on me unless it’s an emergency like some sicko throwing a child into the water.” Stiles replied. He was in a more or less okay mood despite losing the perps. Being asked about why he didn’t want to surf brought back his thoughts on water.

 

He didn’t mind water before. It wasn’t his passion but he loved going to the beach and meeting up at a friend’s house during the summer to beat the heat.

 

Then his life got weird and water wasn’t his favorite element. Though if he had to choose, maybe it was Air.

 

The tragedy that the Hale fire caused latched onto Stiles to a degree. After all the crap from the Nemeton, earth hasn’t really made the case any better. And water?

 

He held up Derek for two hours in a pool. It was one of the most tiring acts of bravery he’s done that went unappreciated and easily forgotten by the guy he tried to keep safe.

 

Then his father was taken to be sacrificed and in order to save him, Stiles had to die for him….in an ice bath.

 

“I drowned.” Stiles blurted out. He’s gotten much better at reeling in information and keeping things to himself, but having just been in the water, and thinking about the people who aren't’ in his life anymore for very complicated reasons, he’s not the refined agent he’s trained to become. He’s a rambling, babbling high school student again.

 

“What?” Danny asked in a whispered. Water having been an element that he wasn’t too fond of either for a personal story that also involved drowning.

 

“I mean, I got revived obviously but...I was drowned. There was some really weird shit going on. My father was captured, he’s my last family member and I knew if I lost him...I’d die soon after. I wouldn’t be able to handle losing both of them. So I bargained. I pled. When offered the choice, I didn't even think. I jumped on it...and I...they drowned me instead.”

 

It was out of context so he let Danny’s imagination filling the rest, but he knew he had to add some more context. So he cleared his throat and began to fabricate the explainable. “My dad was the sheriff. When he went missing, people noticed. So they were already people looking. I wasn’t gone too long but…”

 

“Still. Drowning is...fuck, I’m really sorry.”

 

Stiles forgot that Danny still had his comm in. He himself lost his when he went into the water. The rest of the team had heard. Part of him hated the idea of them thinking he was weak because of it, but he hoped that it would keep them from inviting him places.

 

* * *

 

The team began to realize that Stiles was going to need time to feel like he’s part of a team and not just an extra piece. So they were patient. But they were also kind. The team also had a snarky side, thankfully. Stiles wasn’t sure if he could handle it if they were just nice.

 

They try to bond with him collectively but also individually. Eventually, he gives in and he goes to eat with them at Kamekona’s. He once went with Danny to pick up the kids, but Grace seemed to have a crush on him so he wasn’t allowed to do that anymore. (It was in good nature, but seeing Danny’s overprotective father mode be activated was adorable). He joins Tani and Junior on their runs and workouts. He talks comics, superheroes, and franchises with Jerry. He lets Lou teach him how to golf. He lets Adam help him try to find a real place to stay since it does appear he’s gonna be in Hawaii long term and his motel won’t do.

 

Stiles once drove over to the McGarrett home to get Steve’s signatures on some papers and found him working on a car. Stiles helped him a bit, putting into practice all he learned from keeping Roscoe alive enough to get him through the hunt of the week, to what he really learned in recent years that’s been way more efficient. He and Steve talk shop and Stiles tells him he’s thinking of getting his mom’s Jeep shipped over but wasn’t sure if it was worth it. Steve encourages him to do so. Stiles that night calls his dad and asks him to make the preparations.

 

* * *

 

Naturally, when things starting going too well and he’s stationed in one place, Stiles begins to feel suspicious. He can’t help but feel like the other shoe is gonna drop at any moment.

 

That shoe came in the form of a mercenary named Braeden.

 

With Adam’s help, Stiles had moved into an actual apartment. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but it was more spacious than the motel he’d been staying at. He was in the middle of making himself a coffee in the morning when he felt someone in his apartment.

 

He let his instincts take hold. When she reached out to touch his arm, he grabbed her wrist and judo flipped her, pressed his weight on her once she was on her back, and the arm that wasn’t holding the wrist, was pressed against her neck.

 

She was surprised at his move. He was surprised to see her at all.

 

Once they were both standing, he couldn’t help but try to get a look to see if there was someone else. She caught that and said, “I’m alone.”

 

“Why?” Was the first thing that came out of his mouth. He will always be mad at Derek for leaving like he did, without a single goodbye, or forwarding email or number. But damn if he can let himself stop caring if Derek was doing okay.

 

“There are some jobs I do solo.” After a pause, she added. “Or try to. I...I need help.”

 

Stiles frowned at the implication. Since becoming an FBI agent, Stiles has sort of turned away from noticing anything supernatural. He’s been so focused on going after the human bad guys, he hasn’t bothered with the supernatural.

 

“Then maybe you should have brought Derek to help you.” He tried not to sound too bitter about it. Or jealous. He wasn’t sure he succeeded.

 

“He had something to do with Cora. I needed this job. I thought I could handle it but it got complicated. Fast.” She told him.

 

The thought of Derek being out with his sister rather than another random woman he met, was more comforting than Stiles liked to admit. He tried to conceal his feelings as best as he could though.

 

“Last time I checked, you were protecting me as a favor to Malia. You didn’t seem too thrilled by it either.”

 

“Last time you didn’t know how to properly use a gun. I _know_ that’s different now.”

 

“Doesn’t mean I want to help you. I don’t deal with the supernatural anymore.” Stiles told her.

 

“That doesn’t stop the supernatural from existing.”

 

Stiles scoffed and focused on fixing himself a cup of coffee. “You don’t even help for the sake of helping. You just do it for the money. Don’t try to be high and mighty when you’re just another mercenary.”

 

“I’m willing to split the profit if the fact that innocent people are in danger won’t work on you.”

 

Stiles froze and glared at her. He wasn’t indifferent. Hell, half of the time he risked his neck was to help people, even if he didn’t like them. It was just part of his nature to help. He was very tempted to accept, but her connection to Beacon and the pack and _Derek_...that was keeping a firm stance in his decision.

 

“I have to be at work in half an hour,” Stiles commented.

 

“I’ll do recon and come and get you after. We strike at midnight.” Braeden said before walking towards the door.

 

Stiles watched her go and sighed deeply. He reached for his phone to see if there were any immediate messages and to check the time. The temptation to call his dad and ask what the supernatural climate in Beacon Hills was overwhelming. His thumb hovered over Scott’s name for a minute before Adam’s text came in telling him he’ll be there to pick him up in ten minutes.

 

Shaking his head from his thoughts, he finished getting ready. Or tried to. He racked his brain about whatever he heard and saw at the station that could help him guess whatever the hell Braeden was dragging him into.

 

There was a knock and Stiles went to open it and gave Adam a sheepish look. “Hey sorry I’m not ready yet.”

 

“It’s cool. There’s no pressing case yet.” Adam told him as he stepped inside.

 

“Coffee? I don’t have too much but feel free to grab anything you like.” Stiles said before ducking into his room to finish getting ready.

 

“Thanks, but I had breakfast before coming over,” Adam told him.

 

Once Stiles was ready they headed out. Stiles could tell something was on Adam’s mind and asked, “Everything okay?”

 

“Hm? Yeah. Just...I suddenly remembered something I had to tell Steve.”

 

“Oh? What?” Stiles asked.

 

“Previous case that dealt with my father,” Adam replied.

 

Stiles didn’t pry anymore. He’s learned about who Adam’s father was, as well as their relationship. Stiles didn’t want to upset Adam about retelling facts that might end up upsetting him. He wasn’t opposed to being a listening ear, but he got the picture that when it came to his father and cases, Adam would rather just keep it short.

 

They arrived at 5-0 and had a case going. Since Adam asked Steve if he could have a moment, Steve sent Stiles with Danny.

 

* * *

 

“What’s up?” Steve asked after they entered Steve’s office.

 

Adam licked his lips as he thought about how to best say it. “Today Stiles and I carpooled. I thought I woke up late so I actually arrived earlier than I mentioned.”

 

“Okay…” Steve said in a way that said ‘go on’.

 

“Stiles is still getting used to 5-0. I didn’t know how he was as a morning person, so I decided to finish my coffee in my car until the time I promised I’d pick him up arrived.”

 

“And? Did something happen?”

 

“A very well trained and talented mercenary went to visit Stiles.”

 

“ _What_? How do you know? Stiles didn’t seem hurt.”

 

“No. I didn’t see when she went in, but I saw her leave. I tried to follow her. I got the plate of the car she’s driving but I don’t think she’ll keep with it long. She’s a pro. She worked with or for my father when he was in power. I remember seeing her from time to time in his office.”

 

Steve frowned deeply. “And she didn’t hurt Stiles?”

 

“I don’t think so.”

 

“Do you know what kind of work she usually does? What she might want with Stiles?”

 

“No. I remember seeing payment transfers when I took over my father for a while, but there wasn’t really a memo.” Adam paused for a moment before he asked Steve, “Should we just ask Stiles about it?”

 

Steve thought about it. “I’ll give Danny a call once they arrive. I’ll explain things and tell him to keep an eye on Stiles, see how he’s behaving.”

 

He trusted Stiles. They all did. Stiles has proved himself to be the sort of person 5-0 stands for, fights with and for. Him working for a mercenary doesn’t fit the bill. But many of them have in the past been forced to do things they don’t want because a loved or innocent one was threatened.  Steve hopes no one is in danger, but he hopes it’s that outcome rather than Stiles not being as good as he seems.

 

* * *

 

“You okay? You seem a lil distracted today.” Danny told him as they drove to the scene of the crime.

 

“Hm? Do I? Guess I just have a lot on my mind.”

 

“Like?”

 

“The way I left things back home. It wasn’t the worst way, but also not the best.” Stiles said.

 

“Any particular reason this is bothering you now?” Danny asked.

 

“Someone...reached out to me recently. And seeing them just brought it all back I guess.” Stiles answered.

 

“You said it wasn’t that bad. In this line of work, I’m sure you pretty much got the gist that it’s better to say and do things while you still can. The weekend’s coming up, why not try to reach out and mend some bridges?” Danny suggested.

 

“I could. I should…”

 

“But?”

 

“But...would it even matter?”

 

“What did I just say?” Danny told him. “Unless you wanna be more specific and I can try to offer you better advice, the generic stuff stands. You never know what’s coming. Whether something happens to you or the people of your past...it’s best to make whatever amends are needed and not have anything jagged between you.”

 

Stiles smiled at him. “Thanks, Danny.”

 

“No problem...is it a girl?”

 

He scoffed off a laugh. “It’s not always a girl.”

 

“A guy then.”

 

“Stop.”

 

“A girl _and_ a guy?”

 

“You’re impossible,” Stiles told him, but he let out a genuine laugh. Which Danny took as a win.

 

They were busy with the case, but Stiles felt a shift in Danny and his behavior. He didn’t know what it was but he got a nagging suspicion they knew about Braeden. How? Well, however good she thought she was, Stiles has seen 5-0 in action. And they were better in the long run.

 

Stiles did his best to focus on the case. Which took a drastic turn and took the attention off of him. It was tiring so when he went home, he didn’t worry too much about being followed. Though he was still paranoid and asked Braeden to meet him somewhere other than his place.

 

* * *

“A health shake store?” Braeden asked, taking a sip from her drink.

 

Stiles shrugged. “I’m pretty sure my team is already on to you being here. This isn’t where you’d find most of them...Maybe Tani. Let’s just do this so you can leave the island.”

 

“Hawaii is full of nature and magic Stiles. Just because you choose to ignore it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.” Braeden told him.

 

“I’m sure it’s not the disastrous mess Beacon was. Whoever is in charge of the supernatural here has it handled, while my team and I handle the human disasters.”  

 

She stared deep into his eyes, trying to find something. “Is that really who you are though?”

 

“I’m human. I fight for humans. I fight with humans.” Stiles told her strictly.

 

They had a stare-off before Braeden went back to her drink. “I’ll have to tell Derek about this place. He’s going through a health craze phase.”

 

“Look, I get it okay? I’m a poor substitute for Derek. It’s been made pretty clear before, but you got what you asked for on short notice. So let’s just do this thing and go our separate ways.” As much as he secretly missed Derek, he didn’t miss that he was still seen as inferior to a wolf.

 

Braeden blinked but rather than argue with him, she nodded. She explained what they were doing and who the target was. They made a plan and theoretically, it should have gone without a hitch.

 

Naturally, theory clashed with reality.

 

Hunters.

 

Stiles was sure that the Kate and Gerard Argent were the worst sorts of hunters, but apparently, they were rivaled by these guys. Newbie hunters who weren’t even brought into the life by tradition or trauma, but by mere sport. They didn’t care to verify that those were there hunting were even supernatural. Let’s just say it mixed in with racism very easily.

 

Between the two of them, they managed to take out close to half of the guys there. They got the advantage because of the element of surprise, but after twenty minutes the surprise was gone.

 

They battled with guns at long distance, then when ammo ran out they had to get closer. Stiles took more than his fair share of punches, but it was the bullet in his shoulder that was really slowing him down. He lost sight of Braeden, got cornered, and was sure this was gonna be how it ends.

 

He closes his eyes and tries to make peace with the bullet he’s sure is coming...but when it takes too long, he opens his eyes.

 

Steve’s standing over the guy, kicking his gun out of reach. Swinging his gun over his shoulder he crouched next to Stiles and puts pressure on the wound. “You’re gonna be okay, kid...just hang on.”

 

Stiles didn’t really realize until then just how much blood he lost. He couldn’t find the strength to even answer Steve and try to reassure him that he’s okay. Now he wasn’t even sure if he was.

 

Things got dark and hazy after that.

 

* * *

 

“Are you eating my jello?” Stiles muttered as he began to regain consciousness.

 

Steve stopped mid-bite and smirked a bit. “If you’d woken up earlier, it might have been yours.”

 

“Heh…”

 

“How ya feeling?” Steve asked.

 

“Uh...like I’m on some good pain killers.”

 

Steve chuckled, “You might be.”

 

“How’d you guys find me?” Stiles questioned.

 

“We were worried about you. You seemed off. We called you. When you didn’t pick up...we tracked your phone.”

 

“I would be irked in normal circumstances but you guys saved our lives…” But then it occurred to Stiles and he sat up or tried to. Steve gently pushed him back down. Despite what he felt about his past, Stiles didn’t want people he knew to die. So with concern his 17-year-old self would have had, he asked, “Where’s Braeden? Is she okay?”

 

“She’s fine,” Steve reassured him, but his voice was curt.

 

“Steve?”

 

“She’s being processed and will go to the women's maximum-security correctional facility,” Steve said. He straightened his shoulders, expecting Stiles to get angry. Braeden reminded Steve a lot of Greer. And it’s been established that Stiles was a mini him. He knew he and Danny talked about letting Stiles make his own choices because those choices will define the man he becomes, but Steve couldn’t leave this one alone.

 

Not when this woman could create a lot of future grief for Stiles and possibly be a threat to the team.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Oh? Just oh?” Okay, that was a bit too anticlimactic.

 

“She’s not one to be underestimated, Steve. I don’t think she’ll stay in there long but...I get why you had to do that. What about the arms dealers?” Since he assumed that’s what the local cover was. Or something like it.

 

“Those who survived were also processed and are in Halawa,” Steve answered before giving Stiles a confused face. “Is it the drugs? Are you gonna freak out more when they wear off?”

 

Stiles smirked. “It’s a long and complicated story. Basics are this. My ex-girlfriend from back in high school’s mom wanted to hurt her by killing me. My ex-girlfriend of that time befriended Braeden somehow and got her help to protect me. It’s how we know each other. I felt...indebted to help her and her cause. But I’m not loyal to her or sorry that she’s incarcerated. We’re even as far as I’m concerned.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, oh,” Stiles replied with a smirk.

 

It was clear that he was struggling to stay away. “Go to sleep. The rest of the team will be by later to visit. You’ll need your strength.”

 

Steve felt a bit better hearing Stiles didn’t have a strong connection with a mercenary. Though all the personal decisions he’s made have led him to some of the best people in his life, he really wishes he could have avoided a lot of the pain and betrayal.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean she’s gone?” Steve demanded.

 

Danny sighed and shrugged. “I don’t know. But just like that. Braeden Smith was in custody one moment. The next she’s not. Gone...without a trace.”

 

Steve and Danny both looked into Stiles’s room before looking back at each other.

 

“Do you think she’ll get in contact with Stiles again?” Danny asked.

 

“Maybe. We’ll have to keep our eyes open.” Steve said protectively.

 

Danny placed a hand on his arm to anchor him. The blond could feel how much this was upsetting Steve. “We won’t let Stiles get hurt or be used.”

 

“Right...he has us.”

 

“He has us.” Danny echoed as Steve interlocked their fingers. They re-joined the team inside of Stiles’s room.

 

* * *

 

_“You sure you’re okay?”_

 

“Yeah, nothing that won’t heal.”

 

_“I wish you would have called me.”_

 

“There wasn’t time and Stiles was there.”

 

_“What the hell is he doing there anyway?”_

 

“He’s joined a task force here. They’re pretty badass.”

 

_“Are you coming back?”_

 

“Not yet. The job’s not quite done. But I don’t think Stiles is a possible ally anymore. How soon can you be here?”

 

_“I’ll get the next flight out. I’ll hopefully see you in the morning, or at least the afternoon.”_

 

“I’ll be waiting.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re not drinking while on your meds right?” Steve demanded when he saw the bottle on the table.  

 

“I feel like you’re gonna be upset at hearing I’m not taking my meds,” Stiles said carefully. And like how he assumed, Steve made a very disapproving face at that.

 

“You were given pain killers for the pain, Stiles.” Steve reminded him.

 

“I have a high tolerance for pain. I’ve had worse injuries. And a drink works better.” Stiles argued weakly.

 

Steve looked at Stiles careful before picking up the nearly empty bottle, while also spotting another one in the garbage. “Stiles...I won’t beat around the bush. You seem off. I know we don’t really know you. You’re doing a really good job of keeping yourself to yourself, and I can get that. Secrecy comes with the job and a lot of trust needs to be built before you can confide in us...but I want you to remember that you can.”

 

Before coming to Hawaii a moment like this would have Stiles riled with anger. He would have felt patronized, but he doesn’t. “I know.” He paused as he looked down for a moment in shame before looking back up. “I know it’s slow progress but I think I am making progress with the team.”

 

Steve nodded at that. “You were! You are. I’m just worried that after this...well, I don’t know too much about this to be sure.”

 

“And by this, you mean Braeden?” Stiles asked. He’d overheard a few comments before he was released from the hospital. When he was brought home by Steve he was the one who told him that Braeden had escaped. Stiles wasn’t surprised. He had told Steve that himself that she wouldn’t stay locked up long.

 

“By now you’ve become aware of Adam’s past. The reason we knew to be a bit worried when we couldn’t get a hold of you was that he recognized her as having worked for his father in the past.” Steve told him.

 

Stiles did give Steve a surprised look. He hadn’t known that, and he told Steve as such. “She sort of became...allies with a family I was close to. I never really knew too much about her. I knew she was more of a...bounty hunter. But anything else, well we just never got that personal. I wasn’t hot, rich, powerful, or interesting enough for her to get to know me.”

 

Steve raised an eyebrow at the bit of bitterness in Stiles’s voice but didn’t comment, which Stiles was grateful for. He really hated how Braeden’s presence was reverting him back to the teenager he thought he outgrew.

 

“Still. And I’m sorry I have to ask this but...do you think she’ll contact you again?” Steve asked.

 

“I don’t know,” Stiles replied honestly. He didn’t get too much info on the hunters they got involved with, what they were doing, or why Braeden got involved with them. Part of him hated not asking more information, but he also knew that if he did he would get more involved in the supernatural again. And that was the last thing he wanted. “Did you get much out of the arms dealers?”

 

“Not too much. They just got a new shipment of guns they were trying to get onto the black market.”

 

“Military-grade?” Stiles questioned.

 

“Some. Some were also much less conspicuous stuff. Don’t happen to know too much about that would you?”

 

Stiles shook his head.  He couldn’t and wouldn’t expose his new team to the supernatural. Once Braeden was off the island, he was sure everything would go back to normal and strictly human stuff. “I was indebted to her. I hate being indebted, especially to someone like her. She came and called in her favor and I wanted to know as little as possible and be involved as little as possible. Steve, I promise...I don’t want anything to do with her.”

 

Steve believed him. He felt a bit better hearing it. But not all of his worries were appeased.

 

* * *

 

“Where’s Grace?”  Danny asked as he walked into the kitchen in the McGarrett home.

 

“Lou got into a fight with his brother and his wife’s not too happy with him. He took Will to school and passed to take Grace too.” Steve replied as he pulled Danny in for a kiss.

 

The blond wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck and returned the kiss. Steve presses Danny against the counter letting his hands run over Danny’s body.

 

“Steve…”

 

“What? With Grace carpooling we got some extra time.”

 

“Not that much time,” Danny argued but wasn’t really pushing Steve away.

 

“Is that a challenge, Daniel?”

 

“Maybe. Do you accept it?”

 

“Hell yeah, Junior will be back from his run soon so let’s see just how fast I can make you come, yeah?” Steve asked with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

“You doing okay?” Danny asked as they drove to the crime scene.

 

“If I say fine, will you believe me?” Stiles asked in turn.

 

Danny gave him a small smile. “I’ll believe what you tell me so long as you’re honest.”

 

“I’ve had worse injuries. I won’t deny that it didn’t hurt but I’m okay with being in the field.” Stiles promised.

 

“Good. That’s good.”

 

“But that’s not really what you meant, was it? You wanna know about Braeden. Didn’t Steve tell you?”

 

“He told me some of his worries but it was very personal. We all respect you, you know. And we care for you, so this is me asking about your well being and hoping you’ll want to tell me.”

 

Stiles was quiet for a moment. He felt like the ball was in his court. Danny’s parental protectiveness was showing and like Lou, Danny reminded him of his dad. This was a chance in which Stiles could ask anything and see how Danny replied to determine just how much more Stiles wanted to share with him.

 

“So you and Steve. Even though you’re together and totally in love...you keep secrets?”

 

Danny thought over his answer carefully. “Steve has classified information he can’t share with me. I may not be military but I get it. Some information can be dangerous. It comes with a heavy heart and mind sometimes to be burden with it and sometimes, for some couples...yeah it tears them apart. But because we both understand what that weight means in the scale of things...we’re not vindictive about not being able to share. In fact, we do our best to help the other carry the weight of the burden as much without knowing. But the thing is...we trust each other in a way that goes far beyond the norm. And we both know that the moment we can if we can, we’ll share the information with the other.”

 

“Secrets never been a problem?” Stiles inquired more.

 

“I wouldn’t say that. In the beginning, as we learned to see just how well we could trust each other. And there are still things in our lives that weren’t ever easy to share. Even with each other but the thing about the truth Stiles is that-”

 

“It’s one of the three things that can’t be hidden.”

 

“Yeah.” Danny agreed. Then asked, “What are the other two?”

 

“The sun and the moon.”

 

“I’m glad if you can talk to Steve about things. But I want you to know you can trust any of us. We’re good listeners. And not too bad on giving advice, if that’s what you want.” Danny reminded him.

 

There was silence in the car before Stiles blurted out. “There _was_ a guy.” When all Danny did was give him a look, Stiles continued. “It was complicated and maybe just a stupid teenage crush but I wasn’t a normal teenager. When I fell for someone, I went all in...and well, the guy was my ex-girlfriend’s cousin. And Braeden’s ex or maybe still current boyfriend. I...I didn’t bother asking too many questions.”

 

“Oh. Well. That certainly is a story. I might need more information before I can give you any sort of advice.”

 

* * *

 

_“You’re in Hawaii? Dearest nephew, even though I love the exotic as much as the next rich guy, as a werewolf tropical islands are too hot for me.”_

 

Derek rolled his eyes. He tried contacting Scott but he was busy, and Peter was the only other source in Beacon that he knew of at the moment whose skype he had.

 

“I’m here more so on business than pleasure.”

 

Peter scoffed, _“Typical. So what do you want? Money? Ammunition? Some herbal cure or Celtic spell?”_

 

“How are things in Beacon?”

 

The older Hale blinked in surprised before he shrugged. _“Same as they’ve always been.”_

 

“Can you be a bit more specific?” Derek demanded with a sigh. Sometimes dealing with his uncle felt like pulling teeth.

 

 _“Can I ask why you care? You left this place and haven’t looked back in years.”_ Peter reminded him.

 

He held some guilt about that, but once he knew that Scott and the others could handle the supernatural stuff, he felt more of a disconnect to Beacon than ever. Traveling with Braeden helped him gain some purpose. Or at least some insight into what he wanted. And that wasn’t a relationship with her. She took it rather well. Almost too well that his ego was a bit bruised but he liked that at least one of his relationships ended healthily.

 

After realizing that the mercenary/bounty hunter life wasn’t for him, he went to visit Cora and her new pack for a while. A bit of soul searching later he came to terms that he wanted to finish the degree he started in New York. Which is what he’s been doing. Delving into his studies and focusing on rebuilding a bond with his sister through phone calls and video chats really kept him busy. Surprisingly helping himself and Cora move past the stunted emotional mess they were was much harder than getting his degree.

 

“Beacon’s still my home. I still care.”

 

 _“And yet, you’re in a tropical paradise for humans, but humid hell for werewolves._ ” Peter deadpanned. At Derek’s glare, Peter rolled his eyes and shrugged. _“Uh...it’s normal. Monster of the week strikes every couple of months. Sometimes it’s easy to deal with, sometimes they get desperate and send Malia to talk me into helping. There’s sass, threats, nakedness. Things get quiet, rinse and repeat.”_

 

“Right...and what about the pack?” Derek really wanted to ask about what Peter knew regarding Stiles but wanted to play it cool.

 

_“Have you hit your head or got a witch to alter your memory of your time here while I was running amuck? It’s not like I’m invited to Sunday brunch.”_

 

“Peter!”

 

_“What? I’m partially serious, nephew. But from what I know...Scott and Malia are a thing. But so are Argent and Melissa. I think that’s the real reason why I’m not invited over for dinner. Uuuhhh...Lydia came back from MIT and is doing her thing. Not really sure what it is. Scott’s hauling ass from the last time I was with Malia since he took a year off from going to college after Stiles left.”_

 

“What?”

 

 _“Hm? Yeah. Stiles finally got tired of the pack’s shitty treatment and left without so much of a goodbye. Hasn’t answered calls, texts, never lets anyone know when he visits or where he’s living. Without him whenever trouble struck, the pack had a hell of a time getting their shit together. Lydia didn’t skip a year so Scotty boy and Malia had to rely a lot on Argent and me, which was awkward for them, and a hoot for me. I made them **so** uncomfortable_ _Derek, it was pretty hilarious. But eventually, Scott got his Beta and his group of pups into how things should go. The new human sidekick is pretty clever. Stiles was still a lot faster but they’re alive so I guess he was good enough.”_

 

“Back up. What do you mean about Stiles being treated badly by the pack?”

 

 _“Just as I said. Neglect is just as harmful as physical abuse. I mean, the kid was human and he ran with monsters. What came easy to us, was something not easy for him. He was the only one who didn’t ignore the weird shit when it was right in front of their faces or try and pretend to be normal despite he was the only one who was...you know, relatively speaking. Not to mention he was the vessel for a monster that was the embodiment of resentment, bitterness, hatred, and anger. That kinda thing takes a toll on the body, and considering he doesn’t have our healing...he really needed the support of his friends. I’m not one to criticize_ **_but_ ** _...everyone else was too busy getting ass or in denial or some other third thing they left him to his own devices. And I mean this is Stiles. So now he’s off killing terrorists and stopping bombs and hacks or whatever the FBI does.”_

 

Derek never really thought about it like that. Stiles always had this fierce, fiery nature about him. He was always so ready to go in headfirst into any problem that Derek sometimes forgot that he was human. Whenever he reminded Stiles of his humanity, it was more so to remind him and his wolves.

 

 _“Why the face and interest?_ ” Peter asked. When Derek didn’t answer, that piqued Peter’s interest. “ _Nephew_?”

 

“Stiles is here on the island too.”

 

“ _Oh_?”

 

“Braeden had a job here on the island that got complicated. She asked Stiles for help.”

 

_“And? Was he helpful?”_

 

“Yeah. It was complicated though. Braeden’s gonna tell me later. But yeah… Stiles is here.”

 

_“Are you gonna try and see him?”_

 

“I don’t know.”

 

 _“Well. He’s not the same person he was in Beacon. I like these talks. Keep me updated.”_ And with a creepy trademark smirk, Peter hangs up.

 

Derek leaned back into his chair and sighed deeply.

 

* * *

 

“Are you reading a _newspaper_?” Tani asked with mocking disbelief.

 

Stiles lowered his paper and replied, “I started with my horoscope and then I started reading through. Problem?”

 

“No. Just something I expected more from Lou, Steve, or Danny.” She said as she reached for the paper to read her own horoscope.

 

“My dad used to read the paper a lot. It was just something I’m used to.” He told her. It wasn’t a complete lie but not the real reason he had a newspaper.

 

He did his best to ignore the temptation that crept up on him, but in the end, he couldn’t resist. Asking for police reports about weird sitings or strange attacks might bring too many questions on him, so reading through the paper was the next best thing. He was trying to see if there was a supernatural case going on.

 

Hawaii was a big tourist location so there were a lot more factors to sift through. Being on vacation really brings out the stupid and care-free in people. There were stories about disappearances and also trespassing and weird robberies. Stiles did look into two of those instances after work but it turned out it was just a case of drunken tourist on a dare and some ass hat who left his family for his young secretary.

 

Normal, human, overly typical things.

 

He kept chiding himself that this wasn’t his problem anymore, but Braeden’s words kept bothering him.

 

‘Just because you chose to ignore it doesn’t mean it’s not happening.’

 

She was right. But he argued that so was he.

 

If there was supernatural stuff going on on the island than some sort of hierarchy would be in place. They would be taking care of any problems. Right?

 

But then there were those hunters.

 

Stiles had a vague idea of how hunters worked from his interactions with Argent. Chris Argent was a whole different species of hunter from his family though. The guys they were up against didn’t seem native to the island, and that was part of something Stiles couldn’t really let go.

 

He was almost positive Hawaii would have their own local hunters, but the guys Braeden was messing with weren’t it. It was like an itch he couldn’t scratch...from a healing scab he knew he should ignore.

 

“-iles? _Stiles_!”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Back on earth? You zoned out hard.” Tani told him.

 

“Sorry. Yeah, I got lost in thought.” Stiles answered her.

 

“No kidding. Wanna share?”

 

“Uh...it’s nothing really.” He insisted.

 

“Bull.” She deadpanned.

 

“Alright. Just the guys that nearly killed me. Typical guns for hire sort of deal. But they’re not native to the island so….just cos of who I was helping...I’m...I’m wondering why they were on the island.”

 

“Didn’t you learn what their job was from your lady friend?”

 

“She’s not my friend,” Stiles said immediately. “And no. I owed her, but I didn’t want to get involved with her work. Kinda bad for the badge, ya know? But now it’s annoying me not to know.”

 

“Understandable. So what are you gonna do about it?” She asked, giving him a knowing look.

 

“I don’t think we got all of them. I might go on my days off to see if I can figure out what the hell they were here for.” If there was anything supernatural, he had enough of what his dad wrote off before he knew, that he could apply here.

 

“Selling or buying weapons not enough?” She asked, quoting some of the official arrest reports.

 

“Not for me.”

 

“Count me in.” She told him.

 

He would have rejected her help when he first arrived in the team, but he’s made some progress. Plus he could use her help and knowledge of the island.

 

“Come by my place on Wednesday. I’ll brew the coffee and you can bring the malasadas. I hear they’re really good.”

 

* * *

 

“How was your flight?” Braeden asked as they hugged in greeting.

 

“First class and still stuck in front of a crying kid.” Derek deadpanned.

 

“Poor you.”

 

“Well, it might not be as bad as prison. You sure you’re okay?” Derek asked her with concern. Their relationship might not have lasted, but their friendship was still strong. She was one of the few people he knew who he wasn’t related to that he liked, respected, and knew to be genuine and honest with him. Someone he trusted.

 

“Compared to some of the hospitality I’ve dealt in the past? Prison was a vacation.” She told him.

 

“Alright. But now can you tell me what the hell the job was? And Stiles. How’s Stiles?”

 

* * *

 

“You sure you’re cool with this?” Lou asked him.

 

“Go. Steve’s all mother hen about me being in the field still.” Stiles commented.

 

“The irony can’t escape him,” Danny told him but patted Stiles on the back in thanks. “But thanks for going to go pick up the kids.”

 

“I don’t mind, promise. Just shoot them a text telling them to keep a lookout for a blue Jeep.” Stiles said as he grabbed his keys.

 

“You’re a lifesaver!” Danny called out to him as Stiles left.

 

* * *

 

He’s met Grace before but not Will yet. It’s Grace who leads him to the Jeep and Stiles introduced himself.  Being a true gentleman, Will lets Grace call shotgun and he rides in the back.

 

“How was school today?” Stiles asked.

 

“Exams are getting closer so there’s a lot of binge studying,” Will answered.

 

“I don’t envy you guys on that. Exams always gave me a ton of anxiety.” Stiles told them.

 

Grace nodded. “I’m mostly good, I just gotta brush up on chemistry and history.”

 

“I gotta brush up on math,” Will grumbled.

 

Stiles smiled at their ease of conversation. He remembered being a teen and even the normal ones who didn’t have to worry about dying on top of not failing, weren’t as open as these two. He gave credit to Danny and Lou’s great parenting skills.

 

“Is that Nahele?” Grace asked a few blocks down.

 

“Who?” Stiles asked and looked to where she pointed.

 

“Nahele is a friend of Uncle Steve…” Grace answered.

 

“Looks like he’s in trouble,” Will commented as he saw a group of threatening guys approached the teen. Nahele, to his credit, was meeting them straight up and without fear in his eyes, just anger. Will was right. It didn’t look good for him.

 

Stiles parked his Jeep and told them, “Stay here.”

 

“Wait! You sure you want to go alone? Or get out of the Jeep? Can’t we just call him over?” Will asked.

 

“I’d rather not get you two close to danger. They’re too away from the sidewalk, I can’t just pull up and tell Nahele to get in. Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon.” Stiles said before he walked up to the group. His 5-0 badge clear on his belt. “Nahele?”

 

The three men threatening the teenager turned to look at him, as did Nahele. His eyes went to the badge and Stiles saw him relax a bit. At least he knew Stiles could be trusted.

 

“Is there a problem here?” Stiles asked as he came and stood in front of the teen.

 

“None. Just having a lil chat.” One of the goons said.

 

“Well good. But in that case, it’s time for lunch. Come on, kid.” Stiles told Nahele as he placed an arm protectively around him and nudged him towards the Jeep.

 

The guys seemed upset but not enough to contradict him or try to keep Nahele with them. Stiles was glad. He didn’t want to make a scene. Though being a distraction used to be his thing, he now liked it more when things went off without a hitch and he worked in the shadows.

 

As they walked away, he caught a tattoo on two of the guys he remembered seeing from the hunters he and Braeden dealt with. It made him frown, but he wasn’t going to question it there and then. His first priority is getting someone Steve cared about to safety.

 

“Hey man, you okay?” Will asked as the door opened for Nahele to join him in the back.

 

Nahele let out a shaky breath once he was in the safety of the Jeep and nodded. “Yeah. I am now. Thanks.”

 

“Who were those guys?” Grace asked as Stiles got in and started driving away.

 

“No one…” Nahele grumbled.

 

The other three shared a look but didn’t comment and let the radio filling the silence. The easy-going vibe that was there before was now full of tension.

 

“Where are we going?” Will asked when he realized they weren’t heading the right away anymore.

 

“Trying to lose some new friends,” Stiles answered as he looked into the rearview mirror and saw the hunters follow them in their car.

 

“We’re being followed?” Grace asked as she looked back.

 

“We are. But don’t worry.” Stiles did his best to reassure them.

 

Stiles could practically feel Nahele’s angst. “This was a bad idea. You should just let me off. It’s me they want.”

 

“Like hell that’s gonna happen,” Stiles told him strictly. “I’m not letting you get hunted like an animal. Steve would also kill me if anything happened. Lou and Danny would also kill me if I let anything happen to any of you. I like being alive, trying to keep it that way despite what some actions on cases say otherwise.”

 

“So what are we going to do?” Nahele asked.

 

“Get creative with my driving,” Stiles replied with a smirk.

 

* * *

 

“We’re safe here,” Stiles promised Nahele who was sitting away from the others.

 

Will and Grace sat at 5-0’s usual table, joined by Flippa.

 

“I...sometimes it doesn’t feel like it.” Nahele relented.

 

“It’s out in the open, a common hot-spot for one of the most powerful and respected law enforcement task force’s in Hawaii.” Stiles pointed out and hoped to appease the teen.

 

Nahele was quiet for a moment before he carefully analyzed Stiles. “You said you wouldn’t let them hunt me like an animal. Why? Why use that phrase?”

 

Stiles looked back at Nahele with a similar searching look. Part of him still wanted to be in denial, especially have it be so close to the team. But when it’s staring at you in the face like this, he couldn’t ignore it. Especially if the face staring back looked so scared. “I think we both know why.”

 

“I’m not sure we do. Spell it out.”

 

“Because those men were hunters. And you, or someone close to you, is a supernatural being.”

 

Nahele’s eyes widened and Stiles got the feeling he wanted to bolt. He reached out and grabbed his hand. “I’m not gonna let them hurt you.”

 

“You can’t tell Steve!” Nahele begged. “I don’t want them to know. I can’t...I can’t get them involved in _that_.”

 

“On that, I agree.” Speak of the devil. The rest of Five-0 was approaching the table, and Steve approaching them. Stiles quickly told Nahele, “We’ll speak later.”

 

“Hey...everything okay?” Steve asked.

 

“Yeah. Thanks to Stiles.” Nahele replied.

 

“What happened? Gracie and Will said something about some men following you guys?” Steve stated with concern clear in his features.

 

The way Nahele looked at Steve was very much like he would an older brother or even a father. Stiles had to smile at that. Nahele really trusted Steve, which is why he trusted Stiles. In the end, despite how much he’s been lying to himself about not wanting to get involved in the supernatural in Hawaii...this was his lead.  

 

“Some drunken idiots... tourists who wanted to cause trouble. Stiles here showed up and escorted me out of the situation safely.” Nahele said.

 

“But you were followed?” Steve coaxed.

 

“Yeah but Stiles drove like you normally do and we escaped.”

 

Steve chuckled and clapped Stiles’s back and smiled at him in approval. “You did good. Come on, I’ll buy for you guys.”

 

Stiles didn’t think he could or should reject the idea, so he followed along to the table.

 

“There he is, the man of the hour!” Lou said and they all raised their drinks to Stiles.

 

“I don’t think we should condone that kind of driving, especially when my daughter’s involved but I think we can let it go. All things considering.” Danny said as Steve sat next to him and pulled him close.

 

“What sort of driving is that, Daniel?” Steve asked.

 

“The McGarrett kind,” Danny replied as he gave Steve a deadpanned look. Steve just smiled at him and stole a kiss before stealing a sip of Danny’s beer.

 

“The kids are alright and that’s the important part.”

 

* * *

 

“Hard to believe?” Braeden asked as Derek watched the surveillance from the attack.

 

“I’ve seen Stiles trip out of his parked Jeep so seeing him legit kick ass is...hard to grasp,” Derek admitted.

 

Braeden smirked. “Yeah, he’s no helpless teenager anymore. Still, I wish he hadn’t changed that much.”

 

“What do you mean?” Derek asked.

 

She shrugged. “From the times I worked with Stiles he was always very eager to do 100% to stop the bad guy. He was so adamant of being kept away from anything connecting to the supernatural that he didn’t give it his all. It’s...it wasn’t what I expected and we fell short.”  

 

That didn’t sound like the Stiles he knew or remembered. Then again it’s been years. Peter’s words also rang in his mind.

 

“And he’s working on the island? Real work?”

 

Braeden nodded, “He was assigned to one of the island’s task force. Five-Oh. They do impressive work.”

 

“Dangerous?”

 

“Only the sort Stiles can get into.” She answered.

 

That made Derek worry for the human. The person he remembered Stiles being was different from the man he saw in the video in his hands. “Are we going to approach Stiles again?”

 

“Not if we can help it. He’s very close to law enforcement and this isn’t Beacon Hills. You and I and these hunters aren’t native and we’re on the clock.”

 

* * *

 

“Soda? Tea? Water?” Stiles asked as Nahele came into his apartment.

 

“Tea would be nice. Chamomile if you have it.”

 

Stiles filled a kettle and let it begin to heat up. He motioned Nahele to sit. The poor kid looked terrified. Stiles decided to start and help him ease into the situation.

 

“Back home in Beacon Hills, I was rather close to the pack who ran it.”

 

“You were?” Nahele perked up at that.

 

Stiles nodded. He didn’t consider himself pack now and decided not to mention that he was much closer than he led on. “Werewolves, bitten and born. Were-coyotes, jaguars, banshees...and even a few hunters. I’m no stranger to the supernatural.”

 

“Did you ever...kill?”

 

Stiles took a deep breath. “My father was the sheriff. I knew about the supernatural...it was hard not to get involved. That doesn’t answer your question though. Long story short? Yes. Don’t ask me to go into details.”

 

Nahele accepted that. Stiles filled his teacup with water when it boiled. While he waited for the tea to steep Nahele said. “My mother was a wolf. My father wasn’t...not really sure he knew. But...didn’t matter. I...I’m not but...I know some of those who are.”

 

“Have the hunters hurt any of them?” Stiles asked.

 

“There were threats...most of them have gone into a form of hiding. I don’t know.” Tears glistened his eyes a bit.

 

Stiles reached over and grabbed his hand. “I’ll help deal with these guys.”

 

“You can’t get 5-0 involved! You just...you can’t. If Steve learned the supernatural was real...I mean he already gets in the craziest trouble with just humans!”

 

“Yeah, I get that. And I won’t let them find out. I don’t...I didn’t really want to get back into it. But I got involved with these guys. So let me handle them. And if you ever feel worried or in danger, go to McGarrett’s home or here. That excuse you gave him worked fine.”

 

“Okay. Thanks, Stiles. You’re not gonna go after them alone are you?” Nahele asked with worry.

 

“I’ll be fine. And I think I might know someone who can help.” Stiles said. He was sure Braeden was still on the island. He would just have to find her, and this time get more information from her. Though he already saw Steve’s look of disapproval and he didn’t like the idea of disappointing him. But this was needed. For Nahele’s safety and his own sanity. Or so he’ll try to convince himself was the case.


	3. Chapter 3

“These are the guys that were bothering me. How’d you get these?” Nahele asked as he looked at the various pictures and files on Stiles’s table. When he wasn’t in school, since most of his pack was in hiding he didn’t have that many options. Feeling not very safe he went to Stiles and see how his investigation was going. 

 

“We got off of work on time yesterday and I circled back to where we picked you up. Looking around, I found some vendors with security cameras that should have had good imagining. Using the badge to get a copy of the security tapes I got their faces. I went back into the office when no one was around and ran them through facial rec and got some files.”

 

“Seriously? These guys are in the system?” Nahele asked as he looked through the files.

 

“Some. Which isn’t surprising for hunters. These guys seem to be of a higher paygrade. Two were some form of military. Now discharged though. Others have backgrounds with the law in some way. Either as part of it or having been arrested. Again, not uncommon. There are hunters in various forms of law enforcement from what previous interactions have proven.” Stiles explained as he brewed up some coffee.

 

“Okay, so you have information on them. Assuming they stay on the island for you to do anything....what are you going to do?” Nahele asked.

 

That was a hard question.

 

“For now I’ll play it by ear. I don’t want to get back involved in the supernatural. And much less get the team involved. I’ll see if there’s any reason to form a case and get them at the very least arrested. This guy?” Stiles said, pointing to the picture of one of them, “He’s got the same tattoo as some of the ‘arms dealers’,” Stiles said using air quotes, “that Braeden and I were up against. It might not be too hard to just compile them in the same boat.”

 

“But depending how rich the head of their organization is...they might get bailed. Right?”

 

“Yeah…” He wished that it wouldn’t be a possibility, but it was.

 

“And what happens then?”

 

Stiles looked over to the scared teenager in front of him. A sweet kid that Steve loved, who was bonded with supernatural creatures and lived in peace among and with them.

 

“Whatever happens, Nahele, know that you have me. If they get bailed and they leave, I’ll keep tabs on them to make sure they don’t catch us by surprise. But if they stay and try something… I’ll handle it. No matter what.” Stiles promised.

 

Nahele nodded, accepting Stiles’s words as the truth.

 

* * *

 

_“Hey, kid. How’s paradise?”_

 

“Hot. And apparently not so peaceful.”

 

 _“Everything okay Stiles?”_ Stiles could hear the worry seep deeply into his father’s voice. He’s really missed him, especially being around Danny and Lou. He’ll have to try and fly home for a visit soon.

 

“I’m fine dad. Promise. I got into _some_ trouble, but I’m okay.”

 

_“Care to elaborate on that?”_

 

“Braeden was on the island going after some hunters. She got in over her head and needed help. I was the closest thing. We got most of the hunters but there are some still on the island and they’re more or less terrorizing the local pack. I met a kid, close to my boss, whose mother was a wolf. He isn’t but he’s part of the pack…”

 

_“Stiles, if you’re getting involved with the supernatural again then maybe it’s best if you call-”_

 

“No!” Stiles caught himself, took a deep breath and spoke again calmly. “Sorry. But no. I can handle this. My priority is to keep this kid and his family safe. Maybe get some bad guns out of the market.”

 

 _“Still. I don’t like the idea of you going up against hunters alone. I could take a few days off with Parrish and come visit you for a weekend.”_ Noah offered.

 

Stiles thought about it. Not the worst idea in the world. “Let me get organized. I’m still doing recon. The pack’s gone into hiding and laying low. I’m making sure the kid is safe. And I’m trying to track down any info I can on these guys. Once I have a bit more, you guys can make the trip.”

 

 _“Alright,”_ Noah said, and Stiles heard the surprised tone in there. He suspected that his dad thought he was going to put up more of a fight. He would have, but both Parrish and his father have experience dealing with the supernatural and hunters. And he’s really missed them. Maybe it was an excuse, but fuck it. _“See you soon hopefully.”_

 

“See you soon dad.”

 

* * *

 

“You’ve been busy. You could have asked me to help ya know.”  Tani said as she looked over the files on Stiles’s tablet.

 

“I’m working on the whole ‘teammate’ thing. It’s an uphill battle.” Stiles told her as they entered his apartment. He’s had a lot more foot traffic here than he thought he would ever have.

 

She gave him a smirk before getting down to business. “Alright, so we have some names and basic info. What’s the next step?”

 

“Right now I kinda wanna focus on this tattoo. I sent it to a buddy a mine at the FBI to see if there are any hits. The guys we took down at the warehouse had the same tattoo as this guy.”

 

“And these are the same jerks that were bothering Nahele? Is he in trouble?” Tani asked.

 

“It’s a matter of wrong place, wrong time. From what I can tell Nahele is a great kid, focused, and dedicated and doing his best. He wants to make Steve proud. And I can see _that_ being the reason he stood up to them if he heard them saying anything racist or mean to anyone.” Stiles did his best to disconnect Nahele from the hunters and the case.

 

Thankfully, Tani seemed to accept that. It was the truth in many ways after all. “And we’re not telling Steve?”

 

“Not yet. We don’t have much to go on. The tattoos are a lead, yeah, but I feel like we can bring in more. Maybe a base of operations location for these guys. They don’t seem local, so they have to be staying somewhere.” Stiles said.

 

“And what about Nahele?”

 

“I’ve told him to come to me or any of the 5-0 members if he feels he’s in danger. That his safety is number one in case one of those idiots took something he said personally.” Again, making the foundation that would explain any bad blood between Nahele and the hunters.

 

“Good. So what’s next?” She asked.

 

“We think like them as best as we can. There’s a method to how these guys work. Their business was interrupted and they know they probably have the cops on their tail. So we can’t go as far back as thinking of what they would do when they arrived on the island. Trouble has happened.”

 

“So they’d scatter. They weren’t at the warehouse or got caught. So we may not have had their pictures before being scanned at airports. Which may be our next step.” Tani told him.

 

“Can we do that without alerting the rest of the team?” Stiles asked.

 

“Is it really that necessary that we keep them out of this? If Steve learns that the guys who were bothering Nahele were involved with the guys who hurt you, he’ll be totally on board.”

 

“I know. I know he would be. But not yet, okay? Maybe not these guys exactly, but I might have dealt with these guys before on previous ops of mine. I just… I need to have more before I bring this to the attention of anyone higher than us. Please.”

 

Tani didn’t feel right about keeping this from the team, but she nodded and agreed. “Alright. If we were dealing with arms dealers whose buddies were caught the first thing we’d do is try to get off of the island.”

 

“But they didn’t. I was out of the hospital and being mother-henned by Steve and Danny when these guys harrassed Nahele. So escaping wasn’t their first priority.” Stile said.

 

“Maybe selling weapons wasn’t the real job. Whatever is the real job, is still on the island.” Tani said.

 

Before Stiles could reply, Tani’s phone beeped. She looked at the message and showed it to Stiles. “Looks like we got a put on a pin on this. We have a case.”

 

* * *

 

He wasn’t sure if it would even work, but he needed to get in contact with Braeden somehow. This went beyond his pride.  If helping Braeden with her current job would help get these hunters off of the island, then that was what needed to be done. He didn’t have her number though, and he had made it clear he hadn’t been too keen on helping before. If the hunters were still here, chances are that so was Braeden because the job was unfinished.

 

Making sure Tani wasn’t paying attention to him, he slipped something onto the message board. A coded note that Braeden would know what it meant.

 

He grabbed the cup holder full of drinks and packets of extra stuff before he headed out of the shake shop with Tani.

 

“Didn’t know you were a shake guy.” She commented as she drove to the palace.

 

“I wasn’t but I became a shake guy as I had to set an example to my dad,” Stiles told her. Slowly but surely he was opening up more and more. “After my mom passed, my dad and I both fell into the grieving process. Natural. But my dad was the sheriff and I was a teenager with ADHD. Not eating properly became too easy. My dad got hurt on a case. Nothing overly serious but it was too soon after my mom, ya know?”

 

Tani nodded, and she could see where it was going. Still, she wanted Stiles to share as much as he felt comfortable.

 

“The doctor gave him a rundown of his health. Told him he’ll be fine but he wanted to give my dad pills that would help with cholesterol and blood pressure. After that, I became obsessed with my dad’s diet. Veggie burgers and kale galore….” Stiles smirked fondly at the memories. “He hated it. More so because of how sneaky I was and got him to eat healthier. I learned to cook because I wanted to help him. To not be useless. And sometimes my dad would pull the ‘I don’t see you eating like a bunny rabbit’ card. So I would eat it too. Lead by example, ya know?”

 

“That’s pretty awesome of you.” She told him with a smile.

 

“A son’s gotta do what a son’s gotta do. My dad’s thinking of visiting me actually.” Stiles sprung out.

 

Tani turned to him with a surprised expression. “Really? That’s great! I’d love to meet the guy that’s responsible for you.”

 

Stiles chuckled. “He’s quite ordinary. You might be kinda shocked.”

 

“Still, I’d love to meet him. When’s he coming over?”

 

“We’ve only just talked about it. He’s looking to see which dates work and trying to get his shifts covered.” Stiles replied.

 

“We should have a cookout when he visits. McGarrett loves throwing them. And that way your dad can meet the whole team...if you want.” Tani added, nearly forgetting that Stiles was iffy at best about forced team gatherings.

 

“I’ll run it by McGarrett and see how he reacts. I don’t want him to feel forced, but I have no idea how to throw a luau, which I’m sure my father would enjoy and the McGarrett cookout might be the best compromise.”

 

* * *

 

“Any news on Braeden Smith?” Adam asked Steve when they had a chance alone.

 

Steve shook his head. “I had her picture and information sent to all airports in case she tried to fly her way out. But no alerts.”

 

“She’s good. And if she was working with the Yakuza before, we can’t ignore the fact that she might have called in a favor or some sort to get off of the island on a privet jet.” Adam said somberly.

 

Steve nodded. Adam has a point. “Anything else you could find out on your end? Any idea what she used to do for your father?”

 

“Not too much luck. I managed to track down a friend who’s still in the business that doesn’t outright hate me. I’m hoping to have tea later tomorrow.”

 

“Okay. Keep me posted. But also don’t get in any unnecessary trouble. I believe Stiles when he said he doesn’t want anything to do with her.”

 

“He may not want anything to do with her, but if she’s on the island and needs help...it might not be his decision. I’ll keep my eyes peeled and if anything remotely dangerous pops up….well, then we know that we’re right to be worried for Stiles and that we can help him not get into any more trouble.” Adam said.

 

“True. I’ll go with you tomorrow then. Even if I have to wait in the car.”

 

Adam smirked, “Since when have you ever waited in the car?”

 

* * *

 

“So you and Stiles took out most of their men, and Stiles’s team took out and arrested whoever remained. The job should have been scratched unless whatever the goal was is more important than their men.” Derek summarized.

 

“That’s about it.”

 

“Except the part where you come in. What were you hired to do?” Derek asked.

 

“Some of my clients in Japan wanted me to get them something.” She told him.

 

“What?”

 

“I’m not fully sure.” She admitted.

 

Derek crossed his arms and raised a questioning eyebrow. “That’s not like you.”

 

“Well, the money was excellent. And it’s not like they kept the information on purpose. Generations ago one of their family members escaped from Japan during an attempted assassination of their family with a highly prized family heirloom. The assassination was botched, half of the family remained. The way I understood it, the leader of a branch of the Yakuza family was married to a supernatural creature. Her power came from an heirloom. Someone wanted it to take power for themselves. They had a kid, they sent the kid away with the heirloom. The father and mother were killed. The brother took over and now his descendants are the ones after this heirloom that they think is theirs.”

 

Derek frowned. “The power the family had over there, maybe if they managed to keep it. If this is an heirloom and a living heir, then whatever that powerful thing is belongs to the descendants of that kid, Braeden.”

 

“I’m not paid to care about that. I’m paid to find it and retrieve it. Hunters caught wind of it though and they were building up quite the squad to take it out. I thought I had more time and that with Stiles I’d have enough power.”

 

That didn’t really sit well with Derek. He and Peter had a lot of arguments about the Hale Vault and it’s contents from time to time. Talia was the alpha, Derek was her son, but Peter was her brother. The lines of succession were arguable on both sides...mostly because Peter loved to argue.

 

This was also one of the reasons being a bounty hunter didn’t fit well with him. Braeden had become used to taking herself away from the moral questions of what was right and wrong. Living constantly in a grey area where things were always questioned and questionable. Derek hadn’t wanted that. He wanted to know exactly where he stood and he wanted to make his Pack name proud, so he wanted to stand on the side of good.

 

“Do you have any idea what this thing even is?” Derek asked.

 

“No. I was hoping Stiles would have been far more involved with the supernatural society of Hawaii, who might know. But he’s kept his distance. But if Stiles is still anything like how he used to be, he’ll be too tempted. He’ll want in. And we’ll need his help.”

 

* * *

 

“How ya healing up?” Danny asked as they met at the crime scene.

 

“Pretty well. But I’m honestly glad not to be stuck doing paperwork. I’d much rather be out in the field.” Stiles replied as he grabbed a pair of gloves.

 

“That’s good and understandable. But please try to not do anything McGarrett-y if possible.”

 

Stiles laughed, “No promises. It’s like an instinct that takes over. Like when you think you can sing after a few beers but you sound like a dying animal.”

 

“Is that a warning to never go karaoke singing with you?” Danny teased.

 

“I would think it an invitation. Karaoke isn’t about sounding good. It’s about sounding horrible but together!”

 

“I’ve heard that somewhere….”

 

“Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls,” Stiles replied with a proud smile.

 

“I’m sure Grace or Eric might have one. We’ll put it out and make an evening of it.” Danny suggested. He wanted to invite Stiles to do more team things as much as Steve. But he didn’t want to be as bossy about it.

 

“Well actually...no, never mind.”

 

“No, what?” Danny asked.

 

“Tani suggested it. I didn’t want to take it too seriously but...my dad’s thinking of visiting me. Tani suggested throwing a cookout so he could meet the whole team. She said that it’s common to gather at the McGarrett home.”

 

Danny perked up at that. “Yeah! We do host a lot of things there. It has the room and Steve personally really loves it. He’s also a bit of a grill control freak. But this is great! When’s he visiting?”

 

“Still figuring out dates, but he wants to do it soon. I’m still getting used to the island but I want him to have a good time. I figured I’d play tourist with him but it would be nice to have a cookout. It’ll make him feel a bit more relaxed thinking I’m actually fitting in and not being left to brood and suffer.”

 

Danny chuckled, “I don’t think we’re good at letting our teammates suffer. Or at least not good at letting them suffer alone. I’ll talk to Steve but I’m sure he’ll be thrilled. Let us know when he’s on his way.”

 

“Thanks,” Stiles told the blond just as his phone pinged. He read the message and had to hide his surprise. 

 

“Everything okay?”

 

“Hm? Yeah, just Nahele. After the incident, we’ve bonded. I told him I’d if he ever wanted help with anything to call me. He just wanted to know if I could help him with some football practices and techniques.”

 

“Oh, that’s sweet. Oh, hang on.” Danny said as he answered his own phone. Jerry was calling with more information.

 

Stiles sent Nahele a text that he’d be free to meet up after the case wrapped up, he’ll let him know when.

 

Apparently, one of the pack members resurfaced from hiding to get in contact with Nahele. After learning about Stiles, the Alpha wants to meet with him. 


End file.
